The First Cut is the Deepest
by Gabrielle Marie Isabelle
Summary: Seven defining moments in Sirius & Venus's relationship.
1. Parts i, ii & iii

**Author's note:** this story has seven 'parts' but I posted the first three together because they're very short. Please review!

* * *

_**i. Three : Bubblegum**_

It was a nice summer day and the Vances were having their annual Pureblood Wizards party. For the first times in years, Orion Black was present; usually, his wife prevented him (and pretty much the whole family) from going. But she had the flu and Orion had been persuaded to go by ten-year-old Andromeda who wanted to meet other children before going to Hogwarts (in spite of Bellatrix insisting that she'd introduce her to her Slytherin friends). Orion had taken all the children: Bella, Andy, Cissy, Sirius and one-year-old Reg. He would have left Reg home but Walburga wouldn't hear it. And he had to admit that Vivian Vance was a delicious woman.

"Mummy ! Mummy ! Sirius put bubblegum in my hair!"

Three-year-old Venus was running towards the group of adults, shrieking to her mother and holding her hair with a pained and disgusted expression. Orion sighed as the Blacks children came behind Venus, all looking rather morose.

"Sirius," Orion said reprovingly, "what have you done again?"

Sirius looked up sheepishly at his father but then glanced mischievously at Venus.

Narcissa snickered, tugging at her long blonde hair which had been spared from Sirius's gum. "Sirius is in love! Sirius is in love!"

"Am not!" Sirius protested, blushing, though he did not know what being in love was.

"Mummy," Venus complained, pulling at her mother's dress, "Sirius is nasty."

"He's not," Vivian said soothingly. "He's a very nice boy, I assure you."

Orion laughed darkly. "I think you're being too diplomatic here, Vivian."

"I don't like him," Venus said stubbornly.

Vivian looked apologetically at Orion and smiled charmingly. "I don't think our children are getting on… Sirius, why don't you be nice and apologize to Venusta?"

But Sirius stuck out his tongue at Venus.

"Stupid," Venus said. "Mummy, I don't ever want to see him again!"

* * *

_**ii. Eleven: Water**_

"Sirius, Venus, I'm sure you remember each other," James said, smiling cheerfully as they stepped into the boat that would lead them to the castle.

James was too busy glancing curiously at the red-haired girl he'd met on the train and who was boarding another boat with her greasy-haired friend to notice Sirius and Venus scowling at each other.

"Mr Bubblegum?" Venus said, her lips curved in disdain. "How could I forget?"

With that, she turned to a blonde girl and started talking to her rather haughtily for a first year.

"She's pretty, isn't she?" James whispered to Sirius, grinning.

Sirius shrugged, looking careless. "Guess so."

The two of them then started talking excitedly about Hogwarts, with Sirius glancing furtively at Venus a few times, his grey eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Why are you staring at me?" Venus snapped as she caught his eyes.

Sirius just smirked and stood up. They were near the shore now, and just as Venus turned her head to admire the castle, Sirius suddenly pushed her into the dark water.

That was how Sirius Black got his first detention ever. He was always happy to tell the story, especially if Venus was within ear-shot.

James always said it was the moment he thought they would complete each other perfectly.

Venus always claimed it was the moment she realized boys were stupid, and especially one Sirius Black. In truth, it was the beginning of a life-long relationship of not being able to leave each other alone, for the best and for the worst.

* * *

_**iii. Fifteen: Cigarette**_

"So, alone we are, Vance. Think you can stand it?"

Sirius chuckled to himself as he leant against the wall. Venus peered at him through her fringe, her yellow-green eyes surveying him like a cat chasing a mouse. He noticed that she was wearing eyeliner, and how much it looked good on her; she made him think of someone, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it…

"D'you think it makes you look cool?" Venus asked scornfully.

What the hell is James doing?, was what Sirius repeated to himself. It was nearly time for Quidditch practice and Venus and he were waiting in the common room (apparently, the rest of the team was late, too).

"What?"

"Smoking."

Sirius shrugged casually, not even bothering to answer her question.

"Because it doesn't," Venus insisted. "Actually, it makes you look ridiculous."

Sirius had found it: she looked just like an Egyptian queen (he'd seen one of these in one of Remus's books). Though he didn't think Egyptian queens were supposed to be so attractive.

Sirius smirked. "You're getting predictable, Vance."

Venus scowled at him as he blew smoke stylishly. She coughed, thus indicating that the smoke bothered her, but he ignored her. She hated the smell of it, too. And she hated him. She ran her hand through her hair; her nails were long and she wore red nail polish. A few minutes passed by, or maybe it was merely ten seconds.

"Did you smarten yourself up for your boyfriend?" Sirius asked, and though his tone was teasing, there was something else in his eyes – something which strangely resembled jealousy.

"Did you just say I was smart?"

Venus's words hung in the smoky air and she was suppressing a smirk, cat-like eyes blinking coolly, once, twice, Sirius could get lost in her eyes…

"James is here," Venus said briskly, waving at James who was behind Sirius's back.

Sirius briefly wondered why he felt strangely disappointed when he had been sure that all he had been waiting for was for James to arrive.

"I think Mark Riley is the stupidest boy in Hogwarts," Sirius announced.

Venus looked at him again. James was hovering near the doorway with the rest of the team, watching them with the air of someone who had been anticipating the scene.

"Are you jealous, Black?" Venus expectedly asked, her voice loud enough for everyone else to hear.

Sirius held her gaze; she watched as the ice in his eyes melted and twinkled maliciously.

"You wish I were, don't you?"

Venus looked down, having not expected such a reply. Sirius brushed past her intentionally on his way out, his fingers just an inch from her thigh.

"Sirius Black: one, Venusta Vance: zero," Sirius murmured in her ear.

He left the common room with a smirk on his face, his hands in his pockets.

"Prick," Venus muttered, angry with herself and with Sirius because no matter how much she denied it, he was the first one to send shivers down her spine with a few words and a brush of his fingers.


	2. Part iv

iv

_**iv. Sixteen: Stuck**_

"I'm going to kill Professor Jones."

Sirius snorted. A grin lingered on his face for a while and she unsuccessfully tried to decipher it.

"Didn't you say Professor Jones was cute?" Sirius asked.

He was staring intently at her and did not miss the slight blush on her cheeks.

"Who told you that?" Venus asked, frowning.

Sirius shrugged enigmatically and she sighed in annoyance.

"Why do you always answer a question with another question?" Sirius said.

"That's precisely what you're doing," Venus rolled her eyes. "But my thinking Professor Jones is good-looking does not change the fact that I feel like killing him because he paired me up with you."

Sirius looked around once again. They had been paired up for the first DADA class of their sixth year. Professor Jones had decided they needed some practice after the summer holidays, and so had organized a full afternoon of DADA practice in the Hogwarts grounds. Each pair of students had their own magical map which showed the location of the thing they had to find, while they had to avoid traps and fight certain creatures. Sirius had been paired up with Venus and they had been gone for less than an hour when they had entered some kind of cave where the thing they were looking for was supposed to be (but, then, Sirius had been the one reading the map and he wasn't entirely sure he had not been distracted when doing so, later refusing to admit it to Venus). Suddenly the ground had seemed to fall under their feet and they had found themselves in a small hole with no light. Sirius was starting to panick when he had seen a note on the floor. It said that this was part of the exercise and that they need not worry, only try to get out of it using spells they had learnt.

Sirius had always thought Professor Jones was insane – it had nothing to do with the fact that a lot of girls fancied him, and that Venus seemed to be among them.

"Black? Are you listening to me?"

Sirius's head jerked up and he winced when he saw Venus's annoyed expression.

"Jones said we could send those magical distress rockets if we were stuck and didn't know how to get out – which is the case."

"Yes," Venus said slowly, as though she was talking to a four-year-old, "but he also said that if we sought help we would get a very low grade."

Sirius shrugged. "Who cares about grades anyway?"

"Well I do," Venus said scornfully. "Which is why I'm so dismayed I'm with you and not with Lily or Remus. Or even James."

"I bet James will like the 'even James'," Sirius muttered. "Well anyway you're with me, Vance."

"Yes, with Sirius Black who was practically born to annoy me –"

"You're giving yourself too much importance, darling," Sirius cut in, chuckling. "I was born to annoy everyone, really –"

"If you call me darling once more I'll hex you to oblivion, Black."

Venus's cold voice seemed to echo around the small hole they were in, bringing Sirius back to reality. How were they going to get out? He forced a smirk, just for good measure.

"Oh, I can call you honey, then," Sirius said.

The corners of Venus's mouth twitched as though she was going to smile, but she just rolled her eyes, not even bothering to reply.

"So, did you think of some spell?" Sirius asked.

Venus sighed. "If only you'd let me think –"

"Can't think much when I'm around, hmm?"

Sirius winked. Venus blinked coolly and looked away.

"You are despicable," Venus muttered.

A long silence settled, during which they tried to think of a solution. Sirius, who was very impatient, soon got sick of it.

"Let's send those distress rockets," Sirius said.

Venus, who had closed her eyes to be able to think properly, opened them and scowled.

"Not while I'm alive," Venus said firmly. "We're going to get a good grade, Black."

Sirius shrugged carelessly, his hair falling over his twinkling eyes.

"Then, Vance, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you."

Venus laughed humourlessly. "Using what? Avada Kedavra?"

Sirius looked surprisingly dark when he shrugged and answered her.

"Why not? Isn't my family involved in dark magic?"

Venus forced herself to hold his gaze and she almost shivered. There was something in his eyes… something which both scared her and made her want to protect him. She shook her head. She? Protect Sirius Black?

"You wouldn't do that," Venus replied simply, her voice much softer. "You couldn't."

"How do you know?" Sirius asked dejectedly. "I thought I was just as good as the rest of them to you."

"I know you're not evil. Or not as evil as them, at least."

Venus tried a smile but Sirius still looked grave. There was a long silence; Venus fancied she could hear both of their hearts beating. She suddenly realized that Sirius had edged even closer to her. She wondered why she didn't mind.

"You know, the place I should call home… it's a living hell," Sirius said briskly, looking away.

Venus only nodded. She felt he needed to let go of his suppressed emotions. That it wasn't the right time, the right place nor the right person to talk to didn't seem to bother him.

"I couldn't take it anymore… so I left."

"Really?" Venus exclaimed, shocked. "But where did you go?"

"James's place."

"Oh."

A silence. His eyes at last found hers. She tried to think of Sirius leaving his home, his family, never to be back again… Even she, who liked to think of herself as a strong person, couldn't imagine how hard this was.

"You think I'm taking advantage of James's family?" Sirius asked.

Venus looked surprised but Sirius nodded before she had the time to formulate a reply.

"You think I'm taking advantage of James's family."

"I said nothing of the kind," Venus pointed out calmly. "I don't think you're taking advantage of anyone."

"I still feel guilty…"

Sirius looked away again. He had never sounded so vulnerable.

"You shouldn't," Venus whispered. "It's not your fault."

"I hate them… I hate them and yet there's still this very little part of me which hopes they'll change their mind and maybe some day…"

His voice broke. After much hesitation she put her hand on his arm and squeezed it gently. As if electrocuted he jumped slightly and glanced at her, as if he had just woken up.

"I think I've said too much," Sirius said slowly.

"Do you regret it?"

Sirius shook his head. "No. You won't tell anyone, right?"

"I won't. Maybe the safest way to keep a secret is to tell your best enemy about it."

They smiled at each other. Sirius composed a comical expression.

"Are we really smiling at each other?"

Venus laughed. "I think so. Another secret best kept hidden, I think."

Sirius nodded. "For the first time in our lives, we've talked for more than ten minutes without arguing."

Sirius gathered up his courage, screwing up his nose in a pained expression as though he was forced to say that Snape's hair looked better than his.

"And it was… rather nice," Sirius added.

Sirius avoided her eyes as she raised her eyebrows, waving her hands in front of his face.

"Nice? Is that you, Black?"

Sirius glanced at her and nodded. He didn't know what he disliked the most in her tone: disbelief or mockery.

"Back to ourselves, eh?" Sirius asked.

"Exactly," Venus replied. "Now we really do need to send those distress rockets."

"You changed your mind? Why? I hope you've got a good reason, or I'll be mad at you for making me stay in here for almost an hour –"

"Because I think that if we stay in here I'll start liking you."

"Oh. That's a good reason… Now where did I put those rockets…?"


	3. Part v

v

_**v. Seventeen: Kiss**_

"Hi."

Venus looked up from her Quidditch magazine and pursed her lips when she saw him. She was waiting in the changing rooms as she was early for Quidditch practice and the rest of the team had not arrived yet.

"Hi," Venus answered, her eyes already on the magazine again.

Venus sighed as Sirius sat down on the couch next to her. She tossed her long dark hair behind her ear haughtily.

"Nice day, isn't it?"

No answer. Venus turned a page.

"Look, Vance, are you going just to sit there and read and pretend I'm not there?" Sirius asked exasperatedly.

Venus turned her head to him. "Yes."

Barely hiding a smirk, she went back to her magazine.

"I could be rude or nasty but I'll just stick to being indifferent," Venus said, not looking up.

"Indifferent?" Sirius repeated.

Sirius's bark-like laughter echoed through the changing room.

"Believe me, Vance, you're anything but indifferent to me!"

Venus bit her lip in annoyance; she had to admit he was right.

"So… I heard your sister's wedding was cancelled."

The change of subject surprised her so much that she looked up at him. He was staring down at her in concern. She shook her head; it could not be concern.

"I don't see that it's any of your business," Venus replied coldly.

Sirius shrugged. "I've heard some things, and I just wanted –"

"To know if it was true?" Venus almost cried. "Well, yes, Black, it's true that my sister's wedding was cancelled because of me! Here, happy now?"

Her magazine had been thrown on the floor. Sirius looked sheepish.

"I didn't mean –" Sirius started.

"Yes, her soon-to-be husband tried to seduce me one week before the wedding and… do you… do you really think I want to talk about this… to talk about this with _you_?"

Venus was doing her best not to cry. She felt like screaming and hitting him.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said sincerely after a tense silence. "But you know, it's not your fault if this man was a bastard –"

"That's not what Emmeline thinks," Venus cut in sadly. "She said it was bound to happen, that I always better than her anyway and that I never let her have anything… that she was just the ordinary girl sitting next to the beauty and that she was sick of it."

Venus stood up and started pacing, to calm down but also to put some distance between Sirius and her.

"Well, I know that brothers and sisters' relationships are really complicated," Sirius finally said. "I don't think it can be worse than my brother and me. At least you and Emmeline love each other, right?"

Venus took a deep breath, feeling somewhat better. He was smiling gently at her, feeling the sudden urge to protect her. He had never felt like this, since Venusta Vance had always seemed like an Icy Queen to him.

"Not your fault if you're so beautiful," Sirius muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Venus jumped slightly, not sure she had heard right.

"What did you say?"

She could swear Sirius's cheeks were slightly pink. "Nothing… But you know, if you ever want to talk about your sister –"

"I can't _believe_ we're having this conversation," Venus shook her head.

"Reminds me of… the one we had last year, remember?" Sirius asked softly.

Venus nodded, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, well, I thought we'd decided never to mention it…"

"What if I've changed my mind?"

Sirius was slowly making his way towards her. She looked away, feeling much too affected by his proximity to her taste.

"What if I have not?" Venus retorted.

"Are you rejecting me?" Sirius asked with the hint of a smile.

Venus shrugged. "Maybe."

"Come on, Vance, that's not an answer," Sirius remarked, smirking.

Venus blinked. His face was just inches from hers now, and she stood there staring at him, as if transfixed.

"What are you doing to me, Black?" Venus asked slowly.

"Is that a rhetorical question? Because if it's not, then I think I can answer fairly easily –"

"Oh shut it, you idiot!"

What better way to silence Sirius Black than with a kiss?


	4. Part vi

vi. Eighteen: Love

When Venus Apparated, Lily and Sirius had obviously been in the Godric's Hollow cottage for only a few minutes; Sirius still had his leather jacket on and they were in deep conversation on the couch.

"Hey! How's my Italian girl?"

Sirius stood up at once, a broad smile on his face, and swept her off her feet while Lily watched in amusement.

"Sirius," Venus protested, though the corners of her mouth were twitching, "I've only been gone for five days –"

"Five – horrible – days," Sirius said in between kisses.

Sirius put her down at last, still smiling broadly.

"I'm fine," Venus said. "Now that I'm here. Hello, Lily."

The girls shared a smile.

"Didn't go too well," Venus continued. "You can't repair a broken family, that's what I think."

"Well I could advise you; I'd know everything about broken families," Sirius said bitterly. "I'm sorry it didn't work out though."

Venus shrugged wearily and sat down.

"Tell me everything. Meantime, if coffee was offered, we'd both love a cup," Sirius told Lily as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Yes, of course, the sky's the limit," Lily replied sarcastically.

"Please," Sirius added with a charming smile.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just keep quiet and you'll have your coffee."

"Thanks, Lily, you're the best."

Lily shook her head, a smile lingering on her face as Sirius sat down.

"I don't even know why I put up with you, Sirius Black."

Lily turned, her eyebrows raised cheekily, and Sirius grinned broadly.

"Because you love me, that's why."

Lily laughed; Sirius was glad that he was able to make her laugh when they were having such a hard time setting up the Order. They remained in comfortable silence as fresh coffee poured from the machine. Sirius watched, having always found Muggle devices fascinating.

"I hope James will be home soon," Lily said, and he sensed the worry in her voice.

"Don't worry, he will," Sirius said reassuringly as he got up.

Lily handed him the two cups, nodding thoughtfully.

"Thank you," Sirius said again as he started making his way out of the kitchen.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. I need to cook for the army of baboons that's coming home," Lily called out.

"Chief of Baboons salutes you," Sirius said solemnly, bowing.

Sirius smiled again at the sound of Lily's laughter as he stepped into the living room where Venus was sitting, staring off into space.

"I'm back, Vee."

Venus looked at the cups of coffee in his hands and smiled widely. He couldn't help but grin back: her smile, rather rare, was an enchantment.

"You know I love you," Venus said, taking a cup eagerly.

"It's so very easy to please you, woman," Sirius joked and she rolled her eyes.

Sirius watched in amusement as Venus drank her coffee with a delighted expression.

"I've missed you, you know."

Venus quickly finished her cup and put it down on the table next to Sirius's, which he had not touched yet.

"Missed you, too," Venus whispered and kissed him.

Sirius pulled away quickly, making a face.

"You taste of coffee," Sirius explained, laughing.

Venus hit his arm playfully. "My knight in shining armour is not supposed to care about that! Now drink yours and we'll be even."

"Sounds fair," Sirius said, still chuckling.

As Sirius sipped his coffee, Venus told him about her trip in Rome. Her mother, whose parents were Italian, had decided on a whim to live in Rome with a younger man, saying that she had wanted to leave for a long time and could now that her daughters were old enough. Emmeline and Venus had gone to Rome, hoping to be able to convince her to go back home, but had obviously failed miserably.

"And she lives with this… this berk who is fifteen years younger than her – fifteen years, Sirius, can you believe that?"

Sirius patted her thigh rather awkwardly in what he hoped was a gesture of reassurance and attention.

"Why are you touching my thigh?" Venus asked, frowning.

"Er… now that's a good question. Any excuse to touch your thigh?" Sirius offered with a hopeful smile.

Venus scowled at him until she realized that he was just not good at comforting people – just like she was.

"Never mind," Venus said softly. "Anyway, results of the journey: I hate my mother; she doesn't care about me. I love Emmeline; she despises me. She even thinks I'll turn like our mother –"

Venus stopped talking as Remus Apparated into the room.

"Merlin!" Venus exclaimed as soon as she saw him.

"I look like Hell, I know," Remus muttered, with the air of someone who had been stared at a lot.

Venus hugged Remus and traced the new, large scars on his face with her finger, looking worried. The full moon had been three days before and she had not seen him for a week.

"How are you?" Venus asked.

"Fine," Remus replied, running his hand through his light brown hair tiredly. "Don't worry."

"Liar," Sirius and Venus said at the same time.

Remus gave a small smile. "You know me too well."

"Sit down, Rem. I'll go and ask Lily to make some tea. Do you want anything else?" Venus asked.

Before Remus could open his mouth to answer, Sirius spoke.

"Hey, how come no one fusses over me when I get home?" Sirius protested.

"Because you hate it," Venus replied simply.

Remus and Venus laughed as Sirius found no reply.

"I'll be right back," Venus said, disappearing into the kitchen.

"How did it go?" Sirius asked.

"Not too bad," Remus replied. "We've got one new member for the Order: Marlene McKinnon."

"Oh yeah, she used to be in seventh year when we were in fourth, right?"

"Yes," Remus confirmed, glancing sideways at Sirius. "I'm surprised you remember that."

Sirius laughed. "She's a pretty girl, if you haven't noticed."

"I have noticed," Remus rolled his eyes. "She didn't ask about you, though, sorry."

Sirius hit Remus's arm playfully. "I think I'll live through this, Moony… And you do look tired."

"Thanks," Remus said sarcastically.

Venus entered the room and gave Remus a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate.

"Lily says you've been nice while I was away," Venus said with a smile, gesturing towards Remus's beloved chocolate.

Remus smiled back. "I'm always nice… well, most of the time. And thank you."

"You're welcome," Venus replied. "And you should have a rest after dinner and not go out and listen to Sirius's bad influence."

"Yes, Mum," Remus chuckled. "When did you get maternal?"

Venus shrugged and did not answer.

"Where is he, by the way?" Sirius asked.

"He told me he'd Apparate in the kitchen because he thought Lily would be there making dinner," Remus answered, knowing Sirius had asked about James. "Peter is with him."

Sirius nodded, reassured that his best friend was safe. He smiled as he heard his voice coming from the kitchen. His eyes then naturally searched for Venus and found that she was standing near the window, looking out. He slowly walked towards her. Her tall and thin figure was completely still; only her cat-like eyes were moving, staring into the dark October night.

"Constant vigilance, eh?" Sirius whispered.

Venus startled and shrugged, trying to make as if there was no threat of war whatsoever outside.

"I think Mad-Eye is starting to get to you already," Sirius said jokingly.

Venus smiled a little sadly. "I was just checking. Wouldn't want anything to happen tonight."

"Oh I don't know," Remus said dryly. "At least we'd die together."

"And we'd die fighting," Sirius added gravely. "That's the way I want to die."

"Nobody's dying tonight, okay?" Venus said sharply. "Nobody. Especially not you, understand?"

"Venus, we both know it could happen," Sirius said, his eyes serious and dark.

"I know," Venus sighed, looking down. "I just don't know what I'll do if any of you died. And you… how could I ever find someone who can stand my temper?"

Sirius chuckled mirthlessly and took her in his arms. Remus had tactfully left the room.

"I don't worry about that," Sirius whispered and kissed the top of her head.

"But how could I live without you?"

Tears were falling down her cheeks now, but she cried in silence, her large, watering eyes looking right into his soul, her words sending shivers down in spine. He had never seen her cry before.

"I never meant to fall so deep," Venus shook her head. "I mean, me! Who would have thought I'd be capable of having such strong feelings for anyone? And now is not the time…"

"You're right, I'm afraid we don't have the right timing. I know we could both die at any moment and that until the war is over we won't have a normal relationship but I love you anyway."

There was a long silence during which Venus seemed to consider his words. At last she gave a great sigh, admitting defeat.

Venus nodded, burying her head in his shoulder. "I understand. I love you."

They only pulled apart when the door opened and James came in.

"Sorry. Didn't want to interrupt anything," James said awkwardly.

"Don't worry, everything has been said," Venus said, trying to wipe her eyes discreetly.

"It's good to see you, Vee," James smiled kindly.

"Good to see you too," Venus said, grinning back at him.

James still stood near the doorway, looking hesitant. Sirius knew he could see Venus had been crying. They shared a look and understood each other without needing to speak.

"Lily says dinner's ready," James said at last.

Sirius nodded and made a discreet gesture at James for him to leave. James nodded back and left.

"Let's forget all this for tonight," Sirius whispered.

Venus nodded firmly but Sirius hated the fact that her eyes were still tainted with red and would still be at the end of the night, no matter how good Lily's food would be, how many jokes he and James would make, and how sweet Remus's smiles would be.

"I'm sorry," Venus muttered.

"What for?" Sirius asked softly, his arms finding their way around her waist.

"For crying in front of you," Venus answered, looking away. "I didn't mean it to happen, but what with the prospect of war and –"

"Don't be stupid," Sirius cut in, "there's nothing to be sorry about."

"I let my guard down," Venus shook her head. "I never do that, you neither. Never."

"You can, though, it's alright," Sirius said sincerely.

"Well I don't want to, and neither do you," Venus sighed. "Anyway, as you said, better forget about it and enjoy the evening."

Sirius nodded and they made their way towards the kitchen which was full of laughter as they came in.

"Hey Prongs, didn't wait for me for the jokes, I see," Sirius said.

James held up his hands in a helpless manner, his warm brown eyes twinkling. "I just cannot help myself, Padfoot."

Sirius smiled and he glanced furtively at Venus as they sat down. She nodded in reassurance.

"Now I do hope you've prepared enough food for all of us, Lily, because last time –"

"If you make one more remark about my cooking, Sirius Black, one more, I will cut your damn hair!"

"Sorry, dearest Lily angel, Goddess of Cooks, Master of Roasted Chicken -"

"Don't push it, Sirius," Lily interrupted, the effect of her words completely lost on Sirius because she was, like all the others, laughing.


End file.
